Dr. Satish Alapati, Assistant Professor, Endodontics, on May 6 assumed the duties of Endodontic Clinic Operations Director and Consultant to the Managing Partners. Dr. Alapati is a clinician-scientist, researcher, and educator. He succeeds Dr. Michael J. Barrows, who is retiring.

Dr. Alapati earned his BDS degree in India. Afterwards, he continued his education in the United States at a hospital-based general practice residency program (GPR) in Kansas City, MO. Subsequently, he received his MS in Dental Materials Science and a PhD in Oral Biology from The Ohio State University in 2006. He earned his Certificate in Endodontics from the College in 2011.

He is an American Association of Endodontists Foundation Educator Award recipient and has an active translational research program on therapeutic applications for regenerative endodontic treatment/root canal therapy utilizing mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from dental pulp tissue. His laboratory focuses on the development of a novel treatment to regenerate pulp-dentin complex tissue in diseased immature teeth using a stem-cell based tissue-engineering approach. He also maintains an active practice limited to Endodontics in the Collegeâ€™s Anderson Faculty Dental Practice.

"I want to provide an excellent clinical experience that aligns with our new DMD curriculum," Dr. Alapati said. "I also want to provide future dentists in Illinois with excellent knowledge and clinical skills in the practice and science of Endodontics through evidence-based dentistry and to give them competency in diagnosing dental pulp disease and to educate them on cutting-edge procedures and the latest technologies used in the field of Endodontics."

Dr. Alapati also hopes to "provide excellent basic science knowledge concerning the disease process of dental pulp for evidence-based treatment practice, a thorough assessment about each case with particular emphasis on when to refer to a specialty care practice, and provide the highest standard of care to the public," he said.

"My goal is to create a conduit for critical questions between the research laboratory and the chairside, so that clinical practice can be improved to advance oral health," he said.

"I want to thank Dr. Barrows for 30 years of excellence, and I'm thrilled and honored to build new concepts of teaching based on strong foundation from his era," Dr. Alapati said. "As we faculty strive to constantly improve our teaching, we won't forget that what we do would not have been possible without the hard work of Dr. Barrows and the great faculty of his generation."